


All According To Plan

by Devils_Official



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Heists, I don’t know how to tag this tbh, Light Bondage, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-05-03
Packaged: 2019-10-16 08:05:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17545856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Devils_Official/pseuds/Devils_Official
Summary: In which Sendak and Haxus’ plan to make off with the Castle Of Lions works, Lotor has his own plans, Haxus has no idea what’s going on, and 3/5 of Voltron is just along for the ride.(Or, for those of you who follow me on tumblr, the Grand Theft Castle AU)





	1. Chapter 1

It was not luck that was on Sendak’s side today, but rather discipline, training, and experience, which was why he’d been able (more than able) to successfully take command of this...castle-ship, despite the “resistance” the “Paladins of Voltron” put up.

If these were the fabled Paladins…

Well. If they were, and if they still retained Voltron, Zarkon might have stayed in power for another ten thousand years.

Fortunately, for him, for them, for the universe at large…

And he’d done it with only Haxus, himself, and five sentries. No orbital support (the Paladins’ perfidy at play), no back-up coming, hardly any troops on the ground.

And now they were hours away from Arus already, heading back to Central Command, to deliver this prize to Zarkon himself. 

Alarms began going off. The castle’s security was not very good, but it showed a group of intruders heading for the bridge. 

Now for part two, the part Haxus didn’t know about, for his own safety. 

Haxus picked up his rifle, his teeth bared already. “Orders, Commander?”

“Steady, Haxus.” Of all the lieutenants Sendak had had over the years, he liked Haxus best, and would rather not see him killed. “Hold your fire until you have my say-so.”

The intruders, who appeared to be pirates -three women, a man, and a cat -strode through the doors onto the bridge, adorned as only pirates were: flamboyantly and eccentrically. 

The man- the leader- wore a helmet with a darkened face-plate, but his voice was clear when he spoke: “Commander Sendak. How nice of you to retrieve this ship for me.”

“It’s for the Emperor,” Haxus snarled. 

He attacked, and Sendak rolled his eye and attacked, too. This was at least partially for Haxus’ benefit, so he wouldn’t catch on, but really… Couldn’t Haxus just obey his orders  _ now _ ? He was so diligent and obedient most of the time. 

There were three problems: 

One, they were outnumbered.

Two, these pirates fought better than most Galra.

Three, one of them could become invisible at will.

It ended with both of them on their knees, hands cuffed behind their backs (in Sendak’s case, his wrist was actually secured to his belt, and his prosthetic had been removed entirely, leaving him literally disarmed).

“Now, was that really necessary?” The leader asked. He stepped closer, one hand on the hilt of his sword -almost suggestively, to Sendak’s eye, but he was somewhat biased. “Then again, I did expect a Commander such as yourself to put up more of a fight. It must rankle to be brought so low.”

He stepped ever closer, walking slowly around Sendak, as if inspecting, studying. 

“Where is that vaunted Galra prowess? I’ll admit I was spoiling for a fight, Commander, and then I heard your communications with Central Command, and now here we are, making off with such a handsome prize, at no cost to my crew. I wonder, will you fetch more money if I ransom you back to the Empire, or if I sell you to the slavers?”

“The Emperor does not negotiate with pirates,” Haxus spat, which earned him a slap across the back of his head.

“Now, now, Ezor, let’s treat our guests with a little respect.” Sendak could tell he was grinning under his helmet. “Take him to the brig with the others. In a separate cell, I think. I’ll interrogate the Commander myself.” He stroked Sendak’s crest possessively, and Sendak felt about ready to combust.  

The leader waited for his crew members to take Haxus away, and then he took his helmet off. “Hello, darling.”

“You are ridiculous.”

Lotor grinned. “I’ve been told. Now, let’s take you back to my quarters for your ‘interrogation’.” 

Sendak shook his head fondly as he stood. “Are you going to uncuff me?”

”I will,” Lotor murmured, “but not yet.”

Sendak’s cock twitched. Gods, it really had been too long since the last time he’d seen Lotor. 

“For having been basically abandoned for ten thousand years,” Lotor began conversationally as he led Sendak down the halls to the residential wing, “this place is in shockingly good shape.”

“The security could use some work,” Sendak said.

Lotor laughed. “It could. Fortunately, Axca is already working on that. And all of the launch bays have been locked down.”

”How long were you onboard before we noticed?”

“Only half an hour,” Lotor said cheerfully. He did seem to be in an excellent mood. Probably because everything had gone just as he’d planned. “I thought Haxus was one of the most competent lieutenants you’ve ever had.”

”He is,” Sendak said. “Please don’t kill him; it would be impossible to find a replacement.”

“Hmm,” Lotor said. He stopped in front of a door and opened it. “Here we are.”

Sendak blinked at the lights -somehow, they were even brighter than the lights on the bridge -and allowed Lotor to lead him directly to the bedroom. 

“How much do your generals know?” Sendak asked, wondering if he was going to have to spend some time in the brig, too. He really didn’t want to, given that the alternative was sleeping here, next to Lotor.

“Enough,” Lotor said, stripping out of his ridiculous pirate costume. “Did you know they’ve started a betting pool on when we’ll ‘give into the unresolved sexual tension’ between us?”

“If it were up to me,” Sendak said, “it would be right now.”

Lotor laughed and had Sendak sit in the edge of the bed. “You would make a very terrible prisoner, darling, ordering me about like this even when I’ve got you cuffed and everything.” Still, he slid into Sendak’s lap, wearing absolutely nothing but a few pieces of gold jewelry. “I have missed you,” he murmured, putting his arms around Sendak’s shoulders and kissing him. “I was worried, when I heard that you had to contend with Voltron.”

“They’re children,” Sendak said. “Most of them. And the Champion, but-“

Lotor’s eyes gleamed. “The Champion?”

“He’s the Paladin of the Black Lion. Look, can we discuss this later?” 

“And you always accuse me of impatience,” Lotor teased. 

“You  _ are _ impatient,” Sendak grumbled.

“We could be having a very nice week at an expensive hotel on a resort planet right now,” Lotor said. “So I don’t want to hear any complaints from you, Commander. Especially since you are at my mercy.”

Not a bad place to be, all things considered; Sendak’s only real complaint was that he couldn’t touch Lotor the way he wanted to. “Of course, Your Highness.”

Lotor rewarded him with another kiss. “That’s better.” He reached down between them, to Sendak’s groin, to the hidden catches there, his fingers skating over them lightly, though Sendak knew full well that Lotor knew exactly where they were and how they worked. He was just being a terrible tease because he could get away with it (for now). 

Finally, though, he did free Sendak’s cock, and Sendak sighed in relief. Still, he felt obligated to snark at Lotor. “Do you let all your prisoners fuck you?”

Lotor bit his ear. “Only the handsome ones,” he murmured, “but you’re just my type.”

That sent a bolt of heat through Sendak, and Lotor must have noticed; he was very perceptive. “Maybe I’ll keep you after all. Use you for stress relief, perhaps.”

“ _ Please _ ,” Sendak begged.

“You’ve been very good, darling; I suppose a reward wouldn’t hurt.” Lotor lifted himself up on his knees and began sinking down on Sendak’s cock.

It was just as perfect as it always was; they’d been together so long that they knew exactly what the other liked, and the fact that they didn’t get to see each other often only made things more intense when they did have that time together. 

Plus, Lotor looked stunning riding his cock.

“ _ Fuck _ ,” Lotor muttered. “It’s been far too long, darling.” 

Sendak kissed him, an agreement; it really had been too long. 

“Stay with me,” Lotor pleaded, as he got close. “Stay with me. We’ll...fake your death, or something, just...stay.”

“I will,” Sendak said. “I love you, Lotor. I’ll stay, I’ll follow you wherever you lead, for as long as you let me.”

Lotor came, but he rode Sendak through his own orgasm, too, before he released the cuffs. 

They collapsed side-by-side on the bed, and Lotor laughed breathlessly. “We did it,” he said. “We actually did it. All five Lions and the Castle of Lions itself. You’re magnificent, darling.”

“It was your plan,” Sendak demurred. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” Lotor kissed him, less desperately and more sweetly than before. He looked...pensive when he pulled way, though, and Sendak couldn’t have that.

“What’s wrong?”

“I was serious,” Lotor said. “I do want you to stay here. My father will kill you for your failure if you go back now, either directly or by sending you to the witch’s lab to ‘atone’, so your usefulness there is at an end anyway. And I am tired of missing you.”

“I was serious, too.” He’d already considered all of that. “I will stay, Lotor. Preferably not in the brig.”

Lotor laughed. “No, you’re staying right here, with me. Where you belong.”

Sendak liked the sound of that. 


	2. Chapter 2

The Castle of Lions was a rather fascinating place, though the security did need work. It had been almost nothing to infiltrate it, and from what Sendak had said, it hadn’t been difficult for him to make off with it, either.

Still, it was...old. Older than Lotor, and Altean. It was so incredibly rare to find anything intact of Altea these days, but this…

He was less thrilled when he woke up to Kova dropping a live mouse on his pillow. 

“Kova,” Lotor chided. “You’re supposed to kill them, not play with them.”

Kova looked far too pleased with himself, though he did set off after the mouse when it scampered away.

“I’m not surprised that a castle this old has an infestation,” Sendak said, pulling him back down.

Lotor snuggled back up to Sendak. “It’s unsanitary,” he sniffed. “But hopefully Kova will deal with the problem. Or perhaps Ezor. She has a... unique palate.”

Sendak laughed softly, then changed the subject. “So, what’s next, my love?”

“We wait, mostly. It will take a few days to retrieve the ore, unless I figure out the teleduv before then. Not that we’re in much of a rush.”

“This is no resort planet, but we could make the most of it.”

Lotor grinned. “We certainly could.” 

* * *

The pirates still had not returned Sendak by morning, and Haxus was starting to worry.

Sendak was strong and resilient, but… Even the strongest broke under torture eventually. And Sendak surely knew quite a bit; he was one of Zarkon’s most trusted officers, after all. Gods, he’d been given the Red Lion. 

So. Haxus had two options: lounge around in this cell until the pirates decided they didn’t need Sendak and him anymore, or try to escape.

Haxus had memorized the layout of the ship as a matter of course. It was really only a matter of breaking out of the cell, finding Sendak, and making his way to one of the launch bays. 

After that… Well, he’d worry about it when he got there. 

Breaking out of the cell was almost laughable easy, and he ignored the shouts from the other cell (they wanted him to break them out, too; ha!) as he crept through the Castle, trying to pick up Sendak’s scent. 

The pirate captain had said that he’d interrogate Sendak in his quarters, so he just had to figure out where those were and…

He was lucky, in that he didn’t run into any of the pirates during his search. He barely had a plan, and he was unarmed. If they didn’t kill him outright, they’d make it more difficult for him to escape a second time.

Not that he wouldn’t go down without a fight; just…

He caught muffled sounds of what had to be pain coming from behind a door. 

Without a second thought, he slammed the door open, trying to mentally prepare himself for the gruesome scene. 

It led to some sort of antechamber, empty. But there was another door. 

He rushed to open it, not entirely sure what he was going to do, but he had to do  _ something _ . 

Nothing could prepare him for what he actually saw. 

Sendak was there, but he wasn’t being tortured. Not remotely. 

Instead, he was...entangled with one of the pirates -the leader, presumably, since the others were women -in bed, very clearly not being tortured. 

No one said anything for a moment, and then the pirate started laughing, even as Sendak pulled the sheet up past his waist. 

Haxus resisted the urge to turn away. “What is going on here?” He demanded.

The pirate only laughed harder. 

Sendak seemed… flustered, almost, except that nothing flustered Commander Sendak, so that couldn’t be right. “Haxus, it’s not-“

“It’s exactly what it looks like,” the pirate said, smirking. 

“Lotor,” Sendak chided quietly.

_ Lotor _ ? As in  _ Prince Lotor _ ?  _ He _ was the pirate captain?

Sendak was fucking  _ Prince Lotor _ ? 

“Uh…” Haxus said intelligently. “I have to- uh…” 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lieutenant,” the prince said irritably. “You have three options: One, you do manage, somehow, to make it back to Central Command, where you will likely be given over to the witch. Two, you threaten to turn me in, which will result in you dying right here and now. Or three, you ask Sendak to vouch for you, because of your undying loyalty to him, and you live to see another day. Choose one.”

“Commander?” Haxus asked.

“It’s complicated,” Sendak said. “But… Haxus, if you choose to stay, you’ll have to give up your loyalty to Zarkon.”

“I…” Haxus began. “I was never really loyal to Zarkon, in the first place. He didn’t give me my chance. You did, Commander. I’ll stay. I won’t- I won’t try anything, Your Highness.”

The prince studied him for a moment. “Very well. One of my generals will find something for you to do. Now leave us.”

Haxus turned tail and left; he’d seen More Than Enough. 

* * *

“Was that necessary?” Sendak asked.

“Necessary? No. Enjoyable? Yes, but not as enjoyable as-“

“I should go after him,” Sendak said thoughtfully. “He’s probably-“

Lotor caught his wrist before he could go anywhere. “You can go after him after you’ve finished here.”

Sendak laughed. “Of course, Your Highness.” 


	3. Chapter 3

Haxus ran into the other pirates -or, actually, if that was Prince Lotor, then these had to be his generals -on his way back to the brig. He’d rather be there, if being imprisoned meant he didn’t have to see his commander-

“What are you doing out of your cell?” One of them -the shortest -asked, pointing a blaster at him.

“I- uh… um… Well…” 

“Hey, are you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” another said. That one could become invisible at will, he remembered.

“My commander and Prince Lotor are-!“ He couldn’t  _ say _ it. He really couldn’t.

The first general pinched her nose. “Are you fucking kidding me?” She muttered. 

“You  _ walked in _ on them?” The second one asked. She seemed equally disturbed. 

“ _ Yes _ !” He hissed. “Because I thought my commanding officer was being tortured! Instead-!”

“Good for Lotor,” the tall general said, rummaging around in one of her pockets before handing off a wad of GAC to the fourth general. The quiet one with the cat.

Her tail flicked in what seemed to be a playful way, and the other two generals also handed her sums of GAC, in varying degrees of irritation.

“That’s the last time,” the first general said. “I’m not betting with any of you ever again.” She turned back to Haxus. “So, since you’re not dead, I’m guessing Prince Lotor has decided you can be useful. What can you do?”

Haxus blinked. “I- I’m a systems engineer.”

“Oh, good! You can help me get the weapons systems back online,” the tall general said. “I’m Zethrid, by the way.”

“Lieutenant Haxus,” Haxus said, trying to figure out what the fuck just happened. 

* * *

“Sir, you look...happy this morning,” Axca said neutrally. 

A minor judgement on her part, probably, but Lotor didn’t care. “Why should I not be happy today?” He asked. “Everything is going just as I planned it.”

“Other than that Lieutenant escaping the brig?” Ezor asked. 

“It’s not as if he could have gotten far.” Lotor paced around the central dais of the bridge. He’d studied fragments of diagrams of ships similar to this one, but… 

“And Commander Sendak?” Axca asked, her arms crossed.

“What about him?” Lotor asked. Not all Alteans could make use of the Teleduv technology, but he was hoping… It would make many things a great deal easier if he could. 

“He spent all last night in your room.”

“We had a lot to discuss.” 

“ _ Right _ ,” Ezor said with an ostentatious wink, lounging in one of the command chairs.

Lotor had the distinct realization that he’d been set up. “I’ll assume Haxus told you. So, who won the pool?”

Something rubbed up against his leg. He looked down: Kova, of course. “Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, Narti.”  

“Sir, please try to take this seriously,” Axca said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Normally, I don’t care what you do in your personal life, but this could affect all of you, and we have a right to know.”

“It won’t,” Lotor said. 

“Can you even trust him? How do you know he won’t betray you? Or us?”

“Of all the things I worry about, Axca, that is not one of them. I assure you, the good commander will not betray us.”

“How could you possibly know that?” She pressed. 

There was hardly a point in keeping the secret anymore. “We’re married, Axca.”

She’d been drinking something, and now she choked on it. “You’re married?” 

Twin pedestals rose from the center dais, and that was certainly a start. “That’s what I said.”

“Wh- What! Why didn’t you tell us? When?” She spluttered.

“I didn’t tell you, because I’ve never told anyone. Although,” he said, turning back around to face Narti, “I suspect one of you knew already.”

Narti shrugged again. Her payout from the betting pool had probably been quite large, though it did seem a little bit like insider trading. 

“As for when… It was a long time ago. Before any of you were born, I think. So believe me, Commander Sendak will no more sell me out than you would.” 

“Damn,” Ezor said. “So that’s why you’re in a good mood today. I bet he has a big-“

The doors to the bridge slid open. “The weapons systems are all online, Sir,” Zethrid said. “Should I put the Lieutenant back in the brig?”

“I don’t think that will be necessary,” Lotor said. 

“-heart,” Ezor finished. “I was going to say heart.”

Axca shot her an unimpressed look. 

* * *

“Lieutenant Haxus, please come in.”

Haxus stood in the doorway of some sort of sitting room that Prince Lotor had commandeered (as if he hadn’t commandeered the whole ship). He wasn’t entirely sure of the purpose of this meeting, but- It wasn’t like he could refuse the prince, either. 

“Have a seat,” Prince Lotor said, nodding at the chair across from him. 

Haxus did, cautiously, stiffly. He hadn’t been around royalty much, certainly never one-on-one. He was confident, about the areas he was an expert in, but this wasn’t one of them.

“I apologize for my abruptness earlier,” Prince Lotor continued. 

“I- I’m sorry for...interrupting,” Haxus blurted, then belatedly added: “Your Highness.”

Prince Lotor waved his hand dismissively. Haxus was at least a head taller than him, but Haxus felt small, insignificant. An afterthought, in the face of whatever Prince Lotor was planning.

“Now,” the prince said, “I imagine you have questions, but as this matter doesn’t concern you, they will remain unanswered. All you need to know for now is that Commander Sendak is working for me, and has been for some time. Follow my commands, and the commands of my generals, and we’ll all get through this alive.”

“And if you fail? In whatever you’re doing?”

The prince’s eyes narrowed. “Then we will all be traitors, and we will all die traitors’ deaths, together. So perhaps it is in your best interest to make sure that we don’t fail.”

“I’m not loyal to you,” Haxus said, and it was probably rude, but honestly… Who was this exiled half-breed runt to order him about? “I am loyal to my commander, and to the Empire. How do I know that you aren’t using him?”

He’s half-expected Prince Lotor to be offended or even angered by the accusations, but he just smiled. “An excellent question. I would not betray Commander Sendak for any price, any stray ambition of mine, any reward.”

“I think you’re taking advantage of his position.”

“When I helped him get to where he is? Perhaps I am. Regardless, Commander Sendak and I have committed to our current course, and none of your ill-placed suspicions will sway us from it.”

“How can you be so sure? I mean…”

Prince Lotor’s grin grew wider. “Please, go on Lieutenant. Tell me what you’ve learned in your limited experience about trust and betrayal. I’ve known Commander Sendak since before your grandfather’s grandfather was born. I trust him with my life and my secrets, and he trusts me with his.”

Haxus blinked. He didn’t quite know what to say to that, but it did remind him of just how...ancient Prince Lotor was. 

“Perhaps you still don’t believe me. In that case, let me tell you that Commander Sendak and I are married, and have been for the last eight thousand years. I would sooner fly straight into an unstable star than betray him. I know that you are worried about your commander, but know that I would never place my husband in any situation without knowing that he could handle it.”

_ Married _ ? How had he not known? 

“He...never told me,” Haxus said.

“He never told anyone,” Prince Lotor said. “It was safer that way. Now, of course, you are both presumed dead, and nothing can harm a dead man. All I ask is that you think about your place here. In due time, I will be the Emperor, and Sendak will be my prince consort. Having his trust and loyalty puts you in a unique and advantageous position, and were I in your place, it is an opportunity I would be remiss to squander.” 

“I- Sendak gave me a chance, when no one else would. I could never turn against him.”

The prince’s face softened minutely. “Yes, I know. I cannot promise that this will end well, for any of us, but I will do all that I can to protect all of you.”

“Alright,” Haxus said. “Alright, Your Highness.” 

* * *

“Tell me about the Champion,” Lotor said.

“There’s not much to tell,” Sendak said. “I didn’t have many interactions with him.”

“He impressed you.”

“He impressed everyone,” Sendak countered. “Perhaps he is special, or perhaps all Earthlings are like him, but he was so... _ Galra _ , almost. He had more honor and discipline that half the commanders I know.”

“Hm,” Lotor said. “The other Earthlings?”

“I don’t know much about them. The Green one is technically skilled, and I believe the Blue one is a sharpshooter of some kind.”

“Do Earthlings pack-bond?”

“I believe so. Even the Champion refused to leave the side of his injured companion, and the Green one is only onboard out of a misplaced sense of- of loyalty, I suppose.”

“An exploitable weakness,” Lotor said thoughtfully. 

“And just what are you planning, my love?” Sendak asked. 

“I need that ore,” Lotor said. “And they will retrieve it for me.” 


	4. Chapter 4

Watching Lotor do anything had always been somewhat distracting for Sendak, which was one of the many reasons they didn’t usually work together. 

Watching him climb into air ducts and engine assemblies with his tablet, so he could draw schematics… That was something else entirely. 

If Lotor hadn’t been a prince, Sendak always imagined he would have been an engineer. He had a knack for it, in the same way that Sendak had a knack for strategizing anything. He enjoyed building things and taking them apart, fixing or improving or just seeing how they worked. 

Plus, that was when he was at his most content, his most engaged, even if he did usually end up with engine grease streaked across his face, without his knowledge. (Which Sendak always thought was very cute. He never said that, though, because Lotor objected to being called  _ cute _ , even if he was.) 

For now, Lotor was inspecting the Teleduv thoughtfully, scribbling little notes on his tablet. 

If Lotor could get it working, it would take a matter of minutes for them to cross the known universe, a major advantage in what was to come. No Imperial ship could travel that fast.

In fact, no ship could travel that fast; this ship was a relic of another time, full of lost technology, the last of its kind. 

“The scaultrite is in remarkably good shape,” Lotor said. “For being ten thousand years old. Which means I won’t have to send any of you to retrieve some.”

“Thank the gods,” Sendak replied. Though, frankly, Lotor probably would have sent Axca and not him. Still. Spelunking around in a weblum was unlikely to excite anyone. Plus, the cleanup afterwards…

“So. Everything’s in alignment, as far as I can tell,” Lotor said. “Which means it’s operable. The only question remaining is: can anyone onboard operate it?”

“How Altean do you have to be?”

“I’m not sure,” Lotor said. “I’m not Altean enough to shapeshift, though I suspect those are completely different abilities. The only writings I could find on the subject reference ‘Altean energy’, which is not exactly specific.”

“So you don’t know if you can make it work.”

“Right. But for now, let’s assume that I can’t, and if it ends up that I can, it will be a pleasant surprise.” He came over and kissed Sendak on the cheek. “Ezor found some sort of holodeck, so I’m going to go check that out. Zethrid mentioned that the training deck is particularly well-equipped, though, and I can meet you there later.”

“Sounds good.” Maybe he’d find Haxus and spar with him. He bent down to kiss Lotor properly before sending him on his way. 

He watched Lotor leave, smiling softly to himself. It was so amazing to see Lotor this happy, this content. He’d do anything if it could be like this forever.

* * *

“King Alfor,” Lotor breathed, awed.

The hologram glared at him. “Who are you?”

“Forgive me, Sir,” Lotor said. “My name is Lotor.” That was safe enough; Alfor certainly hadn’t heard of his existence before Altea was destroyed, and this AI must have been created before that. 

“Where is my daughter, Princess Allura?” The AI asked. 

“Safe,” Lotor reassured. Somewhere where’d she stay out of his way, hopefully. He didn’t need someone with a vendetta meddling in his affairs. 

“You’re Galra.”

“Partially.” As if it wasn’t obvious; did he have to point it out? “But I’m also partly Altean.”

Alfor’s eyes narrowed, as if he was trying to put it together. “How- how long has it been?”

“Some ten thousand years since Daibazaal was destroyed,” Lotor said neutrally. He didn’t know if the AI knew that Altea had also been destroyed, but before the Rift, no Galra had lived more than three hundred years; there was no way Alfor could suspect who he was, so perhaps that didn’t matter.

“Ten thousand years…” Alfor repeated. “And the war?”

“It will be over soon.”

“Has Voltron resurfaced?” Alfor asked. “It was a mistake to send them away.”

“In a manner of speaking,” Lotor said. “No, I- I wish to speak with you of alchemy. You were one of the greatest alchemists ever known, Sir. There is so much I could learn from you.”

“You are Altean,” Alfor said, mostly to himself. “Are you a Sacred Altean, a Chosen of Oriande?”

“I have been unable to locate Oriande, as yet, but I have the power, the ability. I lack the skill and knowledge to take me further. I wish to learn, not for my own sake, but so that I can help people. Make amends.”

“Amends for what?” 

“For the mistakes I have made.”

Alfor appeared to consider it a moment longer. “Very well.”

* * *

Haxus started when Sendak entered the training deck. “Sir!” 

“I don’t think that’s necessary,” Sendak said. 

“Were you ever going to tell me? Do you just keep secrets from your subordinates for fun? Or did everyone else know, and-?”

“No one else knew,” Sendak said. “It was safer for everyone that way. It’s the only thing I’ve ever kept from you, Haxus, and it was to keep all of us safe.”

“Well now I know,” Haxus said sourly. “So I want to know everything. What the hell is going on here?”

“I don’t even have all of that plan myself,” Sendak admitted. “But ultimately, I suppose Zarkon will be overthrown, and Lotor will be the emperor. Does anything else really matter?”

Haxus huffed. “I guess not. If that’s our goal, then whatever we do to accomplish it is treason anyway.”

“So you’re with us?”

“I’m dead if I do, and I’m dead if I don’t. Gods, Prince Lotor is...something else. You deserve each other.”

Sendak laughed incredulously. Haxus never would have said anything like that to his face even a week ago. “Thank you,” he said. “Now, are we going to chat all day, or are we going to spar?”


	5. Chapter 5

The fifth pirate was a Galra hybrid, Shiro thought. He didn’t look particularly Galra, other than his skin tone, and with that hair and those ears… He almost seemed like he might have had Altean blood.

But that was impossible; Allura and Coran were the last Alteans. 

“What do you want?” Shiro asked, standing at the front of the cell, Lance and Pidge behind him, as if he could protect them. 

The pirate smiled thinly. “I see the gladiator pits did not crush your spirit completely, Champion.”

“How do you-? You couldn’t have been there.”

“Your name and face have been spread across the Empire, and beyond. It is quite rare for non-Galra to capture the attention of the Empire so… fervently. Still, they would have tired of you eventually; their affections are fleeting at best.”

He looked past Shiro to Lance and Pidge. “And these are other ‘Earthlings’, then, I presume. Strange that there are so many running around out here, so far from their home. And these ones look to be children.”

”I am not a child,” Pidge hissed.

The pirate laughed. “Only a child needs to say that. Still, you must be of some use, if the Lions of Voltron have chosen you. Which is why I’m here.”

”We’re not going to help you,” Shiro said firmly. 

“Why not? We have the same end goal: the end of Zarkon’s reign. You know the cruelties of his regime, Champion.”

”Don’t call me that,” Shiro snapped.

”You are in no position to make demands of me,” the pirate said. “Even I might be forgiven, if I turned you over to Zarkon: Castle, Lions, and all. I don’t want to do that, but I have had to do a great many things I didn’t want to do for the greater good, so I’ll ask you not to test me. What I want from you is very simple: retrieve something for me, and I’ll let you all go, unharmed.” 

“Yeah, but can we even trust you?” Lance asked. “How do we know you’re not lying?”

The pirate grinned. “You don’t. But what choice do you have?”

None. They had no choice. This pirate might decide it wasn’t worth his time to try to convince them, and simply trade them to Zarkon. Or he could kill them. Or…

“Can you just...let us think about it?” Shiro asked. “What do you even want us to get for you?”

“Rare ore,” the pirate replied. “And you have a few hours to make your decision.” And then he left.

“Great,” Pidge said. “Just great. We don’t have a plan, we don’t have any way of accessing the Castle’s systems, no way of getting out…”

Not for lack of trying, but even Shiro’s arm wouldn’t cut through whatever the containment cell was made of. 

“The Galra managed,” Lance huffed. 

Pidge blinked. “They didn’t search him. Or...not well, anyway. These pirates… They’d know where to look.”

“So...what?” Shiro asked. “Did someone set up Sendak? Are they working on...something?”

“We don’t know,” Pidge said. “There’s no way of knowing without knowing more.”

“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Lance said. “We need to get out of here, with the Lions if possible, and find the others. I don’t trust this guy.”

“Maybe there will be an opportunity when he sends us to retrieve the ore,” Shiro said. “If he needs us to do it, it’s probably because we’re Paladins. He’ll have to send us in the Lions. So. We can take our Lions, find the others, and come back for the rest.”

“It might work,” Pidge said. “I left myself a back door into the system, so as soon as I can access it…”

Shiro nodded. “Sounds like we have at least part of a plan.” Better than no plan, though. 

* * *

Lotor returned to the brig the next morning, as they had arrived at the inter-dimensional rift, and it was time.

“Good morning, Paladins. Have you thought about my proposal?”

“We’ll do it,” the Black Paladin said. 

“I’m glad.” He signaled for his generals to come in. “Seperate them.”

Shock and anger flashed over the Paladins’ faces, but Lotor didn’t particularly care. “Now, I doubt it will take all three of you to accomplish my task, so I’ll keep one of you here. You may not trust me, but I certainly don’t trust you. So, which should it be?”

His generals managed to subdue the Paladins quite easily, as he’s thought. Only the Champion had any real fighting experience, and that had been largely against mindless beasts and overzealous Galra. Not his crew of hand-picked and well-trained generals. 

The others… Well. They were children. 

“I think you, Champion, shall go. The Black Lion is the biggest of the Lions, and its size may prove useful. As for the other… Green Paladin, you shall also go. Technical knowledge may be useful, but I doubt a sharpshooter would be of any use. I assume, though, that they do care for you, Blue Paladin?” 

“They don’t,” he gritted. 

Lotor shrugged. “Shoot him, Axca.”

“No!” The other two Paladins yelled, fighting against their captors.

Lotor smiled. “Did you lie to me, Blue Paladin? No matter; you’ll make good collateral. If you attempt to leave with the ore and the Lions, Paladins, you’ll have to find a new Blue Paladin. Am I clear?” 

“Fuck you,” the Blue Paladin spat. 

“Maybe later,” Lotor drawled. “Take the Black and Green Paladins to their Lions, and put the Blue Paladin back in his cell.” 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lotor’s only known the Paladins for five (5) minutes, and he’s already fed up with their bullshit

“You’re sure they’re going to come back?” Sendak asked quietly. 

“I threatened to kill one of them, so yes. Unless they don’t care about him after all.”

“The Champion is famously brutal,” Sendak said. “Remorseless.”

“We must not have been watching the same matches,” Lotor replied. “His very first match… Against Myzax, was it? He wasn’t even supposed to be up for that match, and yet he pushed not just another prisoner out of his way, but another Earthling. Those who chose to go to the arena speak of honor and glory, but the slaves have only their fear, and yet he took the place of another Earthling… He is compassionate. Self-sacrificing. They’ll come back.”

“The Green one is tricky,” Sendak said sourly. “Are you sure you want them to come back?”

“Narti already found the code she left in the system. Clever bit of work, but useless now. The Castle is under my control. Do you doubt me, my darling?”

“Never,” Sendak said. “But these children don’t know what they’re doing, and that makes them dangerous.”

“I’ve dealt with incompetent foes before,” Lotor said. “And so have you. Or does it still rankle that they managed to destroy your fleet?”

Sendak crossed his arms. “No,” he lied, and Lotor laughed.

“They were lucky, darling. We will not let that happen again.”

From where they were standing on the bridge, they had a good view of the inter-dimensional tear, and of the two Lions flying through. 

“Just have a little faith in me, darling,” Lotor said softly, “just for a little longer.”

Sendak took his hand and squeezed gently. A reminder that he’d always had faith in Lotor, and always would. 

 

* * *

After loading the ore into the Black Lion, Pidge turned to Shiro. “I don’t like this.”

“We can’t leave Lance there.”

“But we don’t even know this guy. How can we know that he’s not working for Zarkon? Or worse than Zarkon? What’s he even planning on doing with this ore? My readings suggest that it’s the same stuff Voltron is made of. Is he-?”

“We can’t sneak back onto the Castle and take Lance back. They’ll kill him if we try anything. What choice do we have?” 

“None,” Pidge whispered. “Maybe I could… try to get into the Castle’s systems on our way back, but…”

“So we’ll drop the ore off, take Lance, and we’ll come back for the Lions,” Shiro said. “Regroup and live to fight another day.” 

Pidge sighed, but nodded. 

 

* * *

A channel between the Castle and the Lions was opened, by one of the Paladins.

“Give us Lance, or I swear to God, I’ll-“ the Green one started.

“Pidge, what the fuck-?”

And then they noticed Sendak. How tiresome, dealing with these meddling children. So predictable, and yet so…

“You lied to us. You said you wanted to bring down Zarkon,” the Black Paladin hissed. “So why are you working with him?”

“Technically,” Lotor said, “he’s working for me. But I don’t expect you to understand.”

“We’re- we’re trying to fix this shit!” the Black Paladin yelled.

Lotor wasn’t going to be cowed by a little bit of yelling; he’d dealt with far worse. “It’s not your duty, as it is mine. Bring me the ore, I’ll return your friend, and then you can go, and your part in this will be over. Isn’t that what you want?”

“My dad’s still out there! My brother’s still out there!” The Green Paladin shouted. 

“Your duty as a Paladin of Voltron supersedes that. Let me relieve you of that duty.”

“We can’t just-“

“Of course you can. This isn’t your war. What, did you think that a year of captivity gave you the insight needed to fight this war? Do you know anything about the universe at all? Do you think you can take down an empire that has existed for ten thousand years by yourselves? What arrogance you display. If Alfor hadn’t sent Voltron away, if I’d had Voltron years ago, then none of you would be here right now. This isn’t your war. Go. Home.”

“Lotor,” Sendak said quietly. He wasn’t used to seeing Lotor like this, but Lotor wasn’t usually so frustrated. He was so close; he wasn’t going to let these meddling children ruin it.

“Ezor! Bring the Blue Paladin here.” 

“What are you going to do with him?” The Black Paladin demanded.

“Return to the hangar bays now, or you will find out.”

“No,” the Green one growled. 

Lotor had half-suspected it might play out like this, and therefore had the Blue Paladin a bit closer to hand than he would have otherwise; Ezor returned quickly, dragging him with her.

He fought, of course, but he wasn’t trained, and scrawny besides. 

“Return to the hangars, or you will watch your friend die,” Lotor said coldly. 

The Green Paladin had been typing something quickly into her console, and finally a message appeared on Lotor’s screen. A failed hacking attempt.

“You didn’t think I wouldn’t check every code modification?” He asked. “You are out of your depth here.”

Finally,  _ finally _ , they surrendered. “Don’t hurt him,” the Black Paladin said. “We’ll come back.”

The channel closed.

“Ridiculous,” Lotor muttered. “Ezor, take the Blue Paladin down to the launch bay, and make sure to load the tracking program into the shuttle.”

“Tracking?” The Blue Paladin asked suspiciously.

”A program to find the shuttle the rest of your friends have. It’s the best I can do for you. For your sake, I hope we don’t cross paths again.” 

And then it was just him and Sendak on the bridge, the way he liked it. 

“Why are you so worked up over this?” Sendak asked, not accusingly, just… as if he was trying to understand. He probably was; he was good about that. 

“It’s not fair,” Lotor whispered. “They just…show up and expect everyone to side with them, follow their lead, do what they wanted. I’ve spent ten thousand years working myself to the bone, giving all of myself, thinking and strategizing and planning and they just-! They don’t have a plan. They don’t know anything. And it’s not even their problem! They don’t have the experience, the- the-“

”Hey, hey, it’s alright,” Sendak said.

“How many would have died!” Lotor shouted. “Did they think they could just waltz up to Central Command and kill my father! Or were they planning on fighting a war of attrition! Who would have won, Sendak? You know my father has no compunctions over starving occupied planets as long as his troops are fed. And even if they managed to kill my father, what then? Would they install some kind of puppet leader? No one would stand for that, and civil war would ensure.

“The only way to fix this is to institute change from within the Empire. You know this! I know this! Everyone knows this, but not these children, who think they can just show up and make everything better after the rest of us have been killing ourselves over it for ten thousand fucking years!”

“Lotor. Calm down,” Sendak said firmly. “They aren’t going to be in our way. We’ve gotten what we need from them, and they’re leaving. Narti has already made sure they won’t be able to track us from their shuttle, and they aren’t taking the Lions. Everything is going as you planned it, with a few  _ minor _ deviations, and everything is going to work out alright.” 

All the anger drained out of Lotor, and he was just-  _ tired _ . “And if it doesn’t?”

“I will be by your side no matter what happens. Whether you stand under the flame of the Kral Zera or kneel on the execution block.” Sendak stepped close enough to embrace him, and Lotor melted into it. 

He was just so tired. He wanted it to be over, and sometimes it seemed like it would never end. “Thank you,” he said. “I love you.” 

Sendak nuzzled the top of his head. “I love you, too. Now, let’s finish this.”


	7. Chapter 7

“The shuttle has launched,” Axca said. She didn’t think it was a good idea to let them go, but honestly, no one wanted them to stay onboard any longer, and Lotor didn’t particularly want to kill them unless it was necessary.

“Good,” Lotor said. “Good riddance.”

Sendak hadn’t seen Lotor this irritated in  _ centuries _ . 

“Can I shoot the shuttle down, Sir?” Zethrid asked hopefully. She wasn’t particularly bloodthirsty, from what Sendak could tell, but she did like playing with heavy artillery. 

“Best not,” Lotor said. “We had a deal.”  He placed his hands on the twin pedestals that, apparently, controlled the Teleduv. “Perhaps next time.” 

A glowing vortex opened in front of the castle; Axca, at the helm, steered the ship towards it.

It was somewhat surreal, but not nearly the most unsettling thing he’d ever experienced. Gods, he was ten thousand years old; very little could concern him at this point. 

“It worked,” Lotor said quietly, mostly to himself.

It had; this was a completely unfamiliar sector of space. 

Everyone else was focused on their tasks -a trait Sendak normally applauded - so he was the only one who reacted when Lotor started to collapse. 

Sendak caught him before he could go down completely, but this was one of the things that did concern him. Greatly. 

“Lotor? Lotor!” 

Lotor roused, blinking up at him blearily. “What happened?”

“You collapsed.”

Lotor frowned a little. “It’s too much. Not used to…” He trailed off and shook his head. “I’m fine.”

He was probably only saying that because his generals and Haxus had gathered around by this point, trying to figure out what was going on, and Lotor didn’t like appearing weak in front of anyone, for any reason. 

“You’re obviously not fine,” Sendak said. “You need rest. And the rest of you need to get back to work.” His Commanding Officer Voice got even Lotor’s generals to back off. 

“I’m fine,” Lotor insisted, as he tried to stand up. His knees buckled under him, and Sendak caught him again. 

Sendak didn’t say anything; there was no need to. 

Lotor sighed. “Very well,” he said sullenly. “Axca, you have the bridge.”

Sendak carried him off the bridge and through the corridors to their rooms; Lotor didn’t say anything until the door was closed behind them. 

“It was harder than I thought it would be,” he said. “It took more out of me than I was prepared for. I just need...practice, I suppose.”

“Be more careful,” Sendak insisted. “We’re only here because of you.” He set Lotor down on the bed and took his boots off. “This is your plan, and you must be here to see it through.”

Lotor sighed. “I will do my best, darling.” 

Sendak tucked him in and kissed his forehead. “I can’t do this without you.”

“Of course you can.” 

“I don’t want to, then. There would be no point.”

“You romantic fool,” Lotor said fondly. And then he yawned.

“Go to sleep,” Sendak said. “You must be exhausted.”

“‘M fine,” Lotor insisted drowsily. 

“It’s alright. You can rest now.” 

“Just for an hour or so,” Lotor said finally, sinking back into the sheets. It seemed that operating the Teleduv had taken more out of him than he was willing to admit. “And...will you stay?”

“Of course,” Sendak replied. Lotor rarely rested easily when he slept by himself, and if this was what it was going to take… 

Well, it was hardly a high price to pay. 

He kicked off his boots and climbed in next to Lotor. Lotor’s eyes were already closed, and he relaxed even further when Sendak put his arm around him. He was asleep and purring in moments. 

* * *

 

The intercom woke Lotor. 

“Sir?” Axca said. “We’ve arrived at your coordinates. Should we-? There’s a- a planet here, but…”

“Take us down,” Lotor said, trying not to sound like he’d just woken up. “I’ll be there shortly.”

“Yes sir.” The intercom clicked off, and Lotor glanced at the timepiece.

“Why did you let me sleep for so long?” He demanded of Sendak, who was still curled up next to him. Not asleep, but resting.

“I figured it was best to let you rest. I doubt you want to let anyone else see you collapse.”

He was right about that, but that wasn’t the point. “It’s been three hours!”

“You obviously needed the sleep.” 

“You weren’t supposed to let me sleep this long,” Lotor said sullenly. He really didn’t want to get up now, especially with Sendak next to him, radiating heat. 

Sendak huffed a laugh and pulled him closer, so he could kiss him. “Maybe you should have slept more. Then you wouldn’t be so grumpy.”

“I am not grumpy,” Lotor protested. “How dare you.” 

“Quite easily, I assure you,” Sendak said, kissing him again and again and again, peppering tiny kisses all over his face.

It tickled, and it was all Lotor could do to stifle his laughter. “Stop! I have to-! Sendak!”

Sendak let him off with one final kiss. “There, now you’re in a better mood.”

“You are terrible, darling,” Lotor said, sitting up and tugging his boots on. “Why did I marry you?”

“Because you love me.”

“There is that,” Lotor conceded, flashing Sendak a quick grin. 

“Are you sure Axca can’t manage on her own for a little while longer?” Sendak asked, almost petulantly. 

Which amused Lotor greatly. Usually it was the other way around, with him trying to convince Sendak to stay in bed just a few minutes longer. “Haven’t you had your fill yet?” Lotor teased.

“Of you? Never.” 

* * *

Sendak had known about Lotor’s colony for some time. He didn’t have the specifics -including its location -but he’d known of its existence. Actually seeing it was… another thing entirely. 

It was...idyllic. Rolling hills of green grass, a deep blue sky, happy people…

It wasn’t quite what he’d imagined, after having Lotor cry on his shoulder for a few hours about the witch’s schemes, but then… Well, Lotor had also said that the majority of the colony didn’t know about that. 

Of course the whole “Haggar using the colony as a way to get fodder for her diabolical experiments” did rather overshadow how nice this place was otherwise.

The people -the Alteans -readily approached Lotor, but remained wary of the rest of them, which indicated to Sendak that they hadn’t been here before, either. 

Lotor didn’t appear to be too happy to be here -to Sendak’s eye - but that was probably a mixture of guilt and his discomfort at receiving so much attention at such close range. 

Sendak made his way over to Lotor’s side and surreptitiously held his hand; Lotor relaxed a little.

“Soon,” Lotor said, “we will be ready to go out into the universe once again. All I ask for is your patience.” 


	8. Chapter 8

Lotor’s generals teased him mercilessly over the fact that he had a statue built in his honor, but it was in good fun. He really should have expected it; hell, he didn’t even like it that much, and had been trying to get it taken down for centuries.

He still visited it, with Sendak at his side, of course.

He stared at the names engraved into the base. Well over a hundred names. People chosen for Haggar’s experiments. A part of him was glad that there was a monument to honor them and their unwitting sacrifice -without it, the whole planet would have been razed, and the people exterminated -but a larger part of him wished it had never happened in the first place. That he’d been able to prevent the witch from finding out about this place at all. 

“There will not be another name added to this wall,” he told Sendak fiercely. “She will pay for each and every name already here.”

Sendak squeezed his hand and kissed the top of his head. “She will,” he agreed. 

Their next stop was the second “colony”. Lotor didn’t particularly want to go, but it did have the production facilities he needed to refine and build with the ore. 

For his own sake, he didn’t visit the experimental wing. He knew what was there; he didn't need to see it. 

The production lines were automated; after entering commands into the main console, there wasn’t much left to do. 

“Now what?” Sendak asked. 

“We wait,” Lotor said. “We’ll be safe enough here. There’s a possibility that my father still has some sort of connection to the Black Lion, and that he could track us that way, but this place is beyond the Quantum Abyss.”

“How did you find it in the first place!?” Sendak asked, alarmed. 

As well he might be. If you didn’t know the safe routes, you weren’t likely to come back out again. Many ships had gotten lost in the Abyss. Lost or destroyed. 

“Allow me to keep a few secrets,” Lotor said. “Anyway, even if he could find us, the shortest and safest route through the Abyss takes nearly two years. So, at a minimum…”

“We have two years to finish construction.”

Lotor nodded. “It shouldn’t take that long, but if something goes wrong, we’ll have time to fix it.” 

“You’ve spent such a long time planning for this,” Sendak said. “I know that you have thought of every eventuality. Everything will be alright, Lotor.” 

It eased some of Lotor’s anxiety. Not all of it; he was, by nature, an anxious person. But this helped, having someone who believed in him. 

“Thank you,” Lotor said softly. 

* * *

In the meantime… Lotor did one of the hardest things he’d ever done.

He told the Alteans the truth about the second “colony”. He told them everything, about his mistakes, his oversights, the witch and her reckless thirst for power and knowledge. The fate of those chosen to go to the second “colony”: not necessarily dead, but not really alive. 

And, unless he could find a way, they’d remain like that forever.

There was only silence after he told them. Shocked, horrified, angry -he didn’t know. He almost didn’t care to know. Whatever they felt now… it was reasonable. 

He’d only told them because he was far enough ahead of the witch. He had at least two years to do something before she found out that they knew, and they had a right to know. It had made him ill to come here, knowing that the vile experiments only went on because he wasn’t strong enough to stop her.

But now… Now he was. Or, he would be. 

It would be over soon. 

And now, he didn’t need to carry the burden of this secret with him any longer. And now, they would know.

“Terrible things were done to your friends, your family, your neighbors. People you knew, people you didn’t. I am sorry that this was kept from you for such a long time, but you have my promise that it will never happen again. You have my promise that I will personally do whatever needs to be done to rectify this. This never should have happened in the first place. This was supposed to be a safe place for you, away from the horrors of Zarkon’s regime, but I failed in that,” he said, in an effort to fill the silence. He’d done this alone; this was his burden. 

“It’s not your fault,” one of the Alteans -Luka?- said firmly. “The onus does not lie with you.”

“I brought you here,” he protested. 

“The Witch Haggar did these terrible things. She authorized these experiments. She extorted you. I cannot speak for all, but if you ask us to fight, I will be the first to step forward.”

“I…” He had not imagined that they would want to fight; this was such a peaceful, idyllic place. What did they know of war? “I could not ask it of you.” 

“If this is how we much seek justice, so be it,” she said. 

It- It felt  _ wrong _ , somehow. They were only here because of him. If he’d let them be, maybe…

But what was done was done, and… “If you want to fight, you will have to fight alongside Galra,” he said. “Not all set Zarkon upon a high pedestal, and many seek to knock him off it.”

“If we fight for the same cause, then does it matter if they are Galra?” 

Lotor bowed his head. “No, it doesn’t.” He’d never really fit in anywhere, but maybe…. Maybe this could be the start of something new. Something  _ better _ . 


	9. Chapter 9

For the first time in a long time, Lotor felt like he could breathe. Like he wasn’t running out of time. Like he was finally far enough ahead of everyone who wanted to bring him down that he could rest. 

It would take six months, perhaps, for his plans to coalesce, and aside from checking in on the manufacturing process, there wasn’t much to be done.

He didn’t sit around idly, of course. He still trained, with his generals and with Sendak, with the Alteans who wanted to learn. He helped repair things and troubleshoot problems -this engine assembly was acting up, that intake valve was cracked.

It was peaceful, in a way Lotor’s life never really had been. The reality of what was hanging over them all was constantly in the back of his mind, but it felt faraway, for now.

They couldn’t stay here forever. The only way out was forward; it had been too late to go back ever since his failure with the first colony. He owed it to Ven’tar, to her people, to avenge them. To prevent that tragedy from happening again and again and  _ again _ until there was nothing left in this universe but his father’s cruelty and Haggar’s greed. 

One way or another, it would end soon. 

* * *

When there was nothing better to do, Lotor and Sendak explored beyond the settlements, out on the rolling plains. It wasn’t too dissimilar from the environment that Galra had evolved in, so it was… sort of instinctively familiar. 

This was a different kind of openness. The vastness of space was one thing, but there was always something between oneself and the void.

Here… It was wide open, with visibility for miles. The rustling of the grass would give away someone’s position long before they could sneak up on them.

As strange as it was… Lotor had never felt safer.

It helped (a lot) that Sendak was with him, holding his hand and letting him ramble on about whatever. It was just...so  _ nice _ ; they’d never really been able to spend this kind of time together before, but Lotor  _ loved _ it. He already knew that he’d never get quite enough of this. 

By midday, they wound up on the banks of a creek that would lead them back to the main settlement, when they were ready. The heat of the day was intense, and the sun was too bright, so the shade of the trees and the coolness of the creek provided a welcome relief. 

“Wish it could be like this forever,” Lotor murmured, leaning up against Sendak as they sat on the bank of the creek with their feet in the water.

“You’d get bored inside a year,” Sendak said, rubbing his cheek against the top of Lotor’s head.

Lotor laughed; it was definitely true, but… “It’s nice to think about, though, right?”

“Whenever I think about what the future will hold,” Sendak murmured, “as long as you’re there with me, the specifics don’t matter.”

“Even if we do end up on the execution block?” Lotor asked. 

Sendak sighed. “It won’t come to that. I will see that it doesn’t.”

“How?” The execution block was metaphorical, at least in Lotor’s case. If they were caught after this, his death wouldn’t be quick and painless. His death would be carefully orchestrated so that it sent a message:  _ if you stand against the Empire, your death will be just as painful and humiliating as his. If this is what we do the Emperor’s son, what will we do to you?  _

Sendak was quiet for a long time. “Do you trust me, Lotor?”

“More than anything,” Lotor replied instantly. 

Sendak pulled him close and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “If it came to it, if death was inevitable no matter what, if everything we did failed completely and every last avenue had been exhausted… I would make sure that your death was as quick and painless as I could make it.” 

A possibility that Lotor hadn’t considered. He didn’t think he’d be strong enough to pull the trigger himself- he’d considered that before, dispassionately, in some of his darker moments -but… 

It wouldn’t be any easier for Sendak. If the positions were reversed, and Lotor’s choices were either kill Sendak himself in an act of supreme mercy and love, or let him be tortured to death, he knew what the right choice was. It would just be the most difficult thing he’d ever had to do. 

”You would do that for me?” Lotor whispered.

“I would do anything for you,” Sendak said. “You know that.” 

Lotor climbed into Sendak’s lap. “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I’m glad you’re here.”

“Being yourself is enough.” Sendak kissed him. “But we’re not going to fail, Lotor. We will be victorious, I promise.” 

“You can’t promise me that.”

“Of course I can.” Sendak kissed the tip of his nose. “We’ve been pulling the Empire out from under your father’s feet for thousands of years now, and all without him noticing. This is simply the death blow.” He pressed his forehead to Lotor’s, gently caressing one cheek. “And it has all been your doing, my love. It will be your victory.”

“ _ Our _ victory,” Lotor corrected gently. “We have done this together.” 

“Yes,” Sendak said, kissing Lotor some more. 

It was incredible to be here, with Sendak, in this quiet peaceful place, alone and unafraid.

So of course it couldn’t last. 

In their meandering route through the hills, they hadn’t strayed as far from civilization as Lotor had thought. 

“How can you be so happy and carefree while my brother is dead!” 

Lotor flinched, hard, trying to fight the urge to scramble up and away from Sendak. They weren’t doing anything wrong. Their relationship wasn’t a secret here, and it didn’t need to be. 

He turned to the speaker, setting one hand on Sendak’s chest to keep him in place. “I beg your pardon?” 

A young woman stood there, her marks glowing in anger. “You killed my brother, murderer!”

Lotor knew everyone on this planet by face if not by name, and the realization hit him suddenly. “You’re Bandor’s sister.”

“He’s dead because of you, and you’re here just…!” In her anger, she couldn’t find the words she wanted. 

“His death was a tragic mistake,” Lotor said calmly. He would not be goaded into anger over this. “An accident.”

Frankly -and Lotor would never say this out loud, especially where grieving family members could hear - it was for the best. If Bandor had lived to spread the news of what was actually going on regarding the Second Colony, then….

Well. Perhaps the witch had let him go for that exact reason. Her interest in the Second Colony had waned, and now it was time for her to end the experiment. 

“You have my deepest condolences,” Lotor continued, “and I wish there had been more that I could have done.”

“You’ve done more than enough,” she said coldly. “You are a murderer, a liar, and worse, and the sooner you leave, the better it will be for everyone.”

Lotor could feel the growl building in Sendak’s chest (they weren’t wearing armor, as there had been no need to), but before Lotor could say anything, Sendak was already speaking: “Do you have any idea of what it’s like out there? Every last Altean that refused to come here is long dead, hunted down and killed in Zarkon’s madness. This is  _ war _ , but without him, you would have already lost and been forgotten. You owe him your life.” Sendak grinned, the grin that was mostly fangs and cruelty. “Fortunately for you, he is far too merciful to collect, so the very least you can do is  _ stay out of his way _ .” 

He urged Lotor to his feet, murmuring a gruff “We’re leaving” before standing and pulling Lotor away.

Lotor didn’t protest, too stunned to even consider finding words. He’d had far worse said to him before, and in the end, it was just words. Maybe he  _ was _ a murderer. Not of his own free will, but his actions had led to the deaths of how many? He was certainly a liar; if he wasn’t lying outright, then he was lying by omission every single day, pretending that Sendak wasn’t his husband. He’d finally come clean about the Second colony, but only after how many thousands of years of lying about that, too? 

No one had ever stood up for him before. He knew Sendak had wanted to, on multiple occasions, but he couldn’t, not if they wanted to keep their relationship secret. 

“She’s wrong about everything,” Sendak said. He was clearly still angry, the low growl still present when he spoke. 

“You don’t even know what happened,” Lotor said quietly. “Not the specifics.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Sendak snapped, stopping abruptly and putting his hands on Lotor’s shoulders, so that they faced each other. “Do you understand? How  _ dare _ some stranger come here and hurl accusations at you like she has any right to judge you for what you’ve had to do.”

“Perhaps a stranger would be less blinded by their feelings,” Lotor whispered. 

“A grieving stranger? I don’t think so.” He reached up to cup Lotor’s cheek with his flesh hand, and Lotor leaned into the touch. “It was an accident, right?” 

Lotor nodded. “If he hadn’t crashed…”

“That’s not your fault,” Sendak said firmly. 

“If he hadn’t died, the witch would have killed them all anyway, whether he told anyone or not! I assured her that he died on impact, so she wouldn’t raze all of it. I don’t know what I would have done if he’d survived, but I…” He did know; it was the most gruesome kind of math, but if one life had to be given to save thousands, then wasn’t it moral to-? How could he justify doing anything else? So what if his hands would never be clean, if the lives he’d saved outweighed the lives he’d had to take? If he did nothing, then he was just as complicit….

It still wasn’t easy. Nothing was ever  _ easy _ . 

Sendak gathered him up into a firm embrace, holding him as he tried desperately to hold himself together. 

He didn’t say anything, and Lotor didn’t know if he was grateful for that or not. What could Sendak possibly say to make this better? But some part of him wanted Sendak to somehow...fix this, even if it was impossible. 

“I’m not doing enough,” Lotor said finally. “She’s right. Why should I be having a good time here, with you, when-?”

“Because if you don’t take time for yourself,” Sendak said, “you will work yourself beyond the point of usefulness, and you won’t be able to help anyone. My gods, Lotor, who is doing more than you are? And you’re already doing everything you can. What more could you  _ possibly _ do?”

“It’s not enough!” Lotor insisted. “My father and the witch have been terrorizing the universe for ten thousand years, and because I haven’t been able to stop them-“

“Lotor,” Sendak said calmly, holding Lotor away just enough for him to look him in the eye. “Calm down. Don’t let some grieving child make you doubt yourself, not when we’re so close to the end. Have faith in yourself.”

“I don’t need to have faith in myself,” Lotor said, smiling a little and feeling marginally better. “That’s what I have you for.”

Sendak sighed, but caressed Lotor’s cheek. “I will always have faith in you, my love, no matter what. Do you understand that?”

Lotor nodded. Sendak had enough faith in him for both of them, and maybe sometimes it was misplaced -or felt like it was misplaced -but… Well. No one had ever believed in him like Sendak did. 

“Good,” Sendak said, before leaning in to kiss him. 


	10. Chapter 10

After one last successful test flight, Lotor had made the determination that they were ready to proceed with his plans.

They’d be leaving in a few days, giving them all time to make final preparations. 

Apparently, for Zethrid and Ezor, that meant (finally) getting married. They hadn’t stuck around after the ceremony (not that anyone expected them to) so now Lotor’s remaining generals, Lotor, Haxus, and Sendak were all drinking as Lotor dealt them in.

“Just keep Kova away from your cards,” he said, giving Kova a scratch under his chin. “Not that anyone of you would cheat, of course.” 

Narti shrugged and set Kova on her shoulder, where he promptly curled up and settled in to watch. 

The game was friendly -as friendly as any competitive game between Galra could be -and it went on late into the night.

It was…  _ Gods _ . Wherever they ended up after this, Sendak would miss it. Lotor was happy and laughing and grinning, his worries faraway, casually leaning up against Sendak’s shoulder (trying to sneak a peek at his cards). He was slightly drunk, and that generally made him more affectionate anyway.

Finally, it was time to call it a night. They weren’t leaving tomorrow, but there was still no reason to screw their sleep cycles up too badly. Anyway, Narti had to peel Axca out of her chair, and Haxus really wasn’t much better off. 

Lotor hadn’t been drinking heavily, but he didn’t drink often, and he flatly refused to get out of his chair.

He’d only complain about the crick in his neck if Sendak let him sleep like that, so Sendak just picked him up (it really wasn’t that difficult at all; Lotor was basically a liquid at this point). Lotor, of course, immediately snuggled up as close to Sendak’s chest as physically possible and started purring.

_ Why was he so adorable?  _ That was one of the mysteries of the universe. 

Sendak got them back to their quarters fairly easily -he was drunk, too, but not that drunk, and he could hold his liquor -but when he tried to set Lotor down, Lotor stubbornly refused. 

“Lotor,” Sendak chided gently. 

Lotor growled -not a very threatening sound right now -and clung to Sendak’s shoulders even harder, rubbing his cheek against Sendak’s neck possessively.

Finally, Sendak sat down on the bed, with Lotor in his lap, so he could take off their boots. 

It was somewhat inconvenient, but honestly, Sendak thought it was very cute that Lotor acted like an overly affectionate cat when drunk, so he really didn’t mind. 

Lotor was back to purring, loudly, rubbing his cheek against any part of Sendak that he could reach, mumbling things that Sendak couldn’t quite make out. They sounded soft and full of love, though. 

“Alright, my love, it’s time to sleep,” Sendak murmured, although he couldn’t quite stop himself from nuzzling the top of Lotor’s head.

Lotor made a sleepy noise, and Sendak rolled his eyes fondly as he finally untangled Lotor and tucked him in. Lotor made a displeased noise, glaring up at him.

Sendak laughed and crawled in next to him. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You’re  _ mine _ ,” Lotor murmured. “Not allowed to go anywhere.”

“Love you so much.” Sendak wrapped Lotor securely in his arm, and they were both asleep in moments. 

* * *

Lotor still hadn’t come to bed which, given that they were going to take down the Empire tomorrow, was kind of an issue. Not something you should do after a sleepless night.

Sendak found him in the control room, reviewing charts (again). 

“You need to sleep,” Sendak said.

“I’ll be right there,” Lotor said absently.

“No, now.”

Lotor bristled, defensive. “There’s too much to do. I can’t go to bed yet.”

“You’ve gone over those charts ten times in the last three days. Are you expecting them to change?”

Lotor opened his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. 

Sendak just waited.

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight,” Lotor said softly. “And I didn’t want to disturb you.”

“Nervous?” 

Lotor nodded, just once. “I keep thinking… What if I’ve missed something? What if it all goes wrong? What if I lose-“

Sendak stepped close enough to embrace him; Lotor tucked his head under Sendak’s chin, trembling slightly. “That’s why Ezor and Zethrid got married,” Lotor whispered. “Just in case.”

“We finish this together,” Sendak said firmly. “However it ends.”

“But what if we don’t? What if…?”

He knew what Lotor was trying to say; he just couldn’t bring himself to say it. Which was fine, since it wasn’t going to happen. “I have a very good reason to stay alive,” Sendak said, reaching down to grope Lotor’s ass.

Lotor yelped -he had  _ not _ been expecting that -and then huffed a laugh. “Of course,” he said, fondly exasperated. He swiped a hand across his eyes. 

“You have a great ass,” Sendak told him very seriously. 

“I know that’s why you married me,” Lotor teased. “But that’s alright. I only married you for your dick.” 

“I know,” Sendak said, kissing the tip of Lotor’s nose. “Why don’t I fuck you until you can’t remember your own name?” Sex had always been a great distraction for Lotor, and Sendak wasn’t one to brag, but he always seemed to have a good time, too. 

Lotor bit his lip, looking between the charts and Sendak anxiously, before finally nodding. “I- There’s nothing else I can do tonight, anyway. And it would probably help me sleep.”

Sendak kissed his forehead. “You need to be well-rested for tomorrow.”

“This isn’t goodbye sex,” Lotor said.

They’d had their fair share -more than their fair share- of that.“No,” Sendak agreed. “Just a reminder.”

Lotor smiled softly and nodded again. “I love you, Sendak.”

Sendak picked him up, easily, guiding Lotor’s legs around his waist. “I love you, too. Always will.” 

Lotor kissed him, light and sweet, then looked Sendak in the eye. “Make me forget what we’re about to do tomorrow. Make me forget everything except your name.”

* * *

 

Why had Lotor chosen quarters so far from the control room? It seemed to take forever for them to get there, although at least some of that was because Sendak found it difficult to resist pressing Lotor against the wall and kissing him breathless. It was late enough that no one was out and about, so they didn’t really have to worry about being caught, but Sendak still wanted a bed to take Lotor apart in. 

Wanted him sprawled across the sheets, limp and completely sated. Utterly satisfied and unburdened. 

“I have an idea,” he murmured, when he finally got them to their quarters, meticulously stripping Lotor.

“Oh?”

“Mm. Go lay down.”

Lotor quirked an eyebrow, but obeyed effortlessly. Sendak watched him for a moment -he really didn’t have to sway his hips that much, but Sendak certainly wasn’t complaining -before going to rummage around in the bedside table.

“Is it alright if we use these tonight?” He asked Lotor, holding up a pair of cuffs. 

They were Lotor’s favorite pair, wide but close-fitting, so that they didn’t chafe or make his wrists sore. They were specifically for this, as they had built-in quick releases that Lotor could quite easily reach if he needed to. 

Lotor’s eyes darkened as he nodded, and Sendak kissed him again. 

“Turn over for me,” Sendak said.

Lotor shivered before obeying, rolling onto his belly with his arms stretched out over his head. 

Sendak knelt astride his thighs and closed one cuff around his wrist, looped the chain through the headboard, and cuffed the other wrist. “Good?”

Lotor tugged on them a little and nodded.

“Love having you at my mercy,” Sendak murmured. “Could do whatever I want to you, and you’d let me, wouldn’t you?”

Lotor nodded.

“Good boy.” Sendak nipped the point of one of his ears, kissed his way down Lotor’s neck, ran his hands (flesh and prosthetic- Lotor’s gift to him, made of some of the leftover ore from the comet) up Lotor’s arms from his wrists to his shoulders, feeling his muscles flex and relax as he strained against the cuffs. He wasn’t quite ready to give in completely yet, but he would. 

He just needed time and attention. 

Sendak continuing working his way down Lotor’s body, gently nuzzling the scars that criss-crossed Lotor’s back: whip marks, old and faded. Lotor ignored them most of the time, and he rarely liked to be reminded that they were there. 

Lotor fought for a higher purpose: to end his father’s reign, to bring peace and prosperity to the universe.

Sendak fought for  _ this _ . Fought so that no one would ever hurt Lotor again, fought so that all the people who had already hurt him would pay for it. 

Lotor whined, struggling as much as he was able with Sendak’s weight pinning him down.

“Shh,” Sendak murmured. “I’ll take care of you, you know I will.” He rubbed his cheek against the small of Lotor’s back, before continuing further down.

Lotor’s ass was incredible. Firm, round, muscular… Perfectly proportioned. Gorgeous. 

Sendak kneaded the firm flesh for a few moments, enjoying Lotor’s soft sighs. He was tense  _ everywhere _ ; his shoulders would probably make a masseuse cry. For now, Sendak just wanted him to relax a little and forget about tomorrow. 

He nipped one cheek, just to hear Lotor’s startled cry, then nipped the other. There was no reason to ruin such perfect symmetry. 

He nuzzled the crease of Lotor’s thigh, making Lotor squirm helplessly. It wasn’t as if he could get away, and Sendak knew that he didn’t really want to; he just couldn’t help himself. Hence, the cuffs. 

Sendak teased him a little while longer -Lotor was an awful tease, so Sendak really didn’t feel bad - before coaxing him up onto his knees.

With his arms cuffed over his head, his back was forced into a beautiful arch. He probably could lift his chest up off the bed, if he really wanted to, but Sendak was quite happy with his current position. 

He nudged Lotor’s knees apart and settled himself between them, grabbing Lotor’s ass and spreading his cheeks apart with his thumbs. 

Lotor’s breath hitched, like he’d realized that Sendak was about to do. He wiggled a little, perhaps trying to get Sendak to do something, but Sendak was holding him too securely. 

Sendak pressed a kiss to Lotor’s entrance, barely there, and Lotor shuddered. He was already hard and  _ leaking _ ; he didn’t  _ need _ to be teased anymore. He tried to push his hips back, but he couldn’t.

“You’re at my mercy tonight, remember?” Sendak asked, punctuating the question with another gentle bite on the curve of Lotor’s ass. He couldn’t resist; it was immensely biteable. “So be a good boy and take what I give you.”

Lotor moaned, half-muffled by the pillows as he pressed his face into them. 

Sendak rewarded his cooperation with a firm, messy lick across his rim. Lotor shivered, but otherwise held still. 

“Good,” Sendak said. “Perfect.” He dove back in, pressing his tongue into Lotor. After all the teasing, that had to be a shock to his system, and he shouted wordlessly into the pillow. 

Sendak didn’t go easy on him -he wanted Lotor to come at least once before he fucked him -letting him feel the scrape of fangs on his rim, pressing his tongue as deep as possible, curling and flicking it against Lotor’s inner walls. 

When Lotor came, Sendak felt the way he clamped down on his tongue, the way he tried to buck his hips. Heard the way he cried out, loud and unabashed, uncaring about anything but this.

Sendak pulled back finally, when Lotor started whining from the overstimulation. “Good boy,” he murmured, stroking Lotor’s side. “You’re perfect. Absolutely perfect for me.” 

“Really?” Lotor asked softly.

Sendak kissed the back of his neck, where sweat was already starting to collect. “Yes. Always are.” He sucked the tip of one of his ears into his mouth. It wasn’t something that turned Lotor on, but if he was already aroused… 

“ _ Sendak… _ ” Lotor moaned lowly, and  _ gods _ , did Sendak like that. “Fuck me?” 

“Of course, baby.” As if he could resist. He reached for the lube on the bedside table. “How many times do you think I can make you come tonight?”

Lotor’s ears shot upright. “However many you want.”

That was not the answer Sendak had been expecting, but  _ fuck _ … He pressed his forehead against the back of Lotor’s neck, trying to get himself under control. Lotor liked to be overstimulated, but he didn’t, and he  _ really _ wanted to fuck Lotor. “Yeah, that’s right, baby.” He slicked himself up as quickly as possible and, after a moment of thought, put a pillow under Lotor’s hips before lining himself up.

It was as incredible as it had always been. Sex was good, but sex with Lotor was phenomenal. He was just exactly Sendak’s type, plus… It was  _ Lotor _ , and he  _ loved _ him. 

He braced himself with the prosthetic and wrapped his other arm around Lotor’s chest, enjoying the way Lotor’s rib cage heaved as he tried to catch his breath. He couldn’t, not quite, too overwhelmed. He loved it, though, and it was probably what he needed tonight anyway. 

He trailed his hand down lower, to Lotor’s belly. He knew what he’d find there, and it drove him crazy every single time. Lotor was just too  _ small _ . 

Lotor’s belly bulged out just a little with each thrust, Sendak’s cock forcing his body to accommodate it somehow. “ _ Fuck _ , baby, you take it so well.”

Lotor made a sound that was half-moan, half-purr, but all pleasure. He’d stopped struggling against the cuffs, and he just took everything Sendak gave him, because he trusted him, more than anything. Trusted him when he was at his most vulnerable. 

Sendak could tell he was close again -there was a little more desperation to the movements of his hips, a slightly different pitch to his moans - so he increased his pace a little. “Yeah, that’s it, baby. Let me feel you come on my cock.”

Lotor did, more quietly than the first time, shaking and shuddering. He felt so good… 

Sendak stayed still for a moment, to let Lotor calm down a little, but Lotor hadn’t even caught his breath when he turned his head a little. “Don’t stop,” he pleaded. “Don’t stop,  _ please _ .”

“I won’t, shh, alright,” Sendak soothed. He fucked Lotor with smooth, fluid motions of his hips, less rough than before. “You’ve got one more left in you, right, baby?”

Lotor nodded.

“So good for me,” Sendak murmured, mouthing at Lotor’s neck. He slid his hand down to Lotor’s cock; he couldn’t keep this up much longer, and honestly, neither could Lotor. Only Sendak’s grip and the pillow held him up at this point. 

Lotor whimpered -he wanted, but it must have been way too much -as tears started running down his face.

“Shh, we’re almost there. You’re doing so good for me, baby, yeah, that’s it, let go…” 

Lotor came with a soft sob, trembling all over, every ounce of tension draining from his body; Sendak came immediately after.

With the brains he had left, he remembered to release the cuffs. He rolled onto his side, bringing Lotor with him, holding him close as he rubbed Lotor’s wrists.

“Are you alright?” Sendak asked softly.

It took Lotor a long time to answer, and when he did, it was only a single nod. He turned over just enough to bury his face against Sendak’s shoulder, still shaking, clinging to him with all the strength he had left.

Sendak had been intending to clean them up, maybe use some mouthwash, but that would have to wait. 

“Promise me that it will be alright,” Lotor whispered eventually. 

“It will be,” Sendak said softly, nuzzling the top of Lotor’s head. “It will be, my love.”

“I know you want to clean up,” Lotor said. “Can you just wait until I fall asleep? It won’t take long, and I- I want…”

Sendak understood immediately. “Yes, of course. Go to sleep, my love. You’re safe here.” 

Lotor nestled closer, and he was asleep in moments. Sendak waited a few minutes, then kissed the top of his head before gently untangling him. For tonight, at least, everything was alright.

Tomorrow… 

Tomorrow could wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I recently joined the Lodak Discord server, and that’s my only excuse for this chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

They didn’t speak much the next morning when they woke up. There wasn’t really a need to; this was easy, at least, if nothing else was. 

Lotor felt  _ good _ , for the first time in a long time. Sendak always seemed to know exactly what he needed, more than he did, sometimes. 

They helped each other with their armor. They could do it themselves, and that was probably the more efficient way, but this was intimate, reassuring. Making sure that Sendak was appropriately protected let some thread of worry in Lotor’s chest unfurl, and he imagined that Sendak felt the same way. 

They went down to breakfast, joining the others, who were laughing and joking and teasing. They knew what was coming, but maybe they needed this, first. 

Ezor was, naturally, sitting in Zethrid’s lap, acting in a way that was only permissible for newlyweds -not that Lotor particularly minded; they’d never really been subtle. 

He leaned up against Sendak’s side. “We should get married.”

“My love,” Sendak said quietly, “we  _ are _ married.” 

“I meant...in front of everyone. I don’t want to sneak around anymore. I want everyone to know that you are mine.”

“Whatever you want,” Sendak said, kissing the top of his head. “I think you just want an excuse to act like newlyweds.”

“Maybe,” Lotor hedged. “We didn’t exactly get the chance, before.”

“You know you don’t need an excuse, right?” 

Lotor shrugged. “Besides, a wedding is an excellent way to celebrate a victory.”

“As you command, your highness,” Sendak murmured.

Lotor smiled. There were no guarantees, but… They had a chance, at least. 

* * *

This coup had started long ago, with Sendak’s meteoric rise through the ranks. He’d made good progress on that by himself, but with Lotor’s help -much of it given in the form of a competent partner with which to play various  strategy games in order to hone his strategic capability -he rose faster, higher than all the rest, gaining and keeping his place at Zarkon’s side.

It was during that time that Sendak started watching the other Commanders around him, every person that rose and fell within the ranks, making note of which would be useful. Which could be swayed.

Lotor helped with that, too, picking apart their actions, their motives, and together they assembled a list of Commanders for Sendak to approach.

Not openly, of course. Just small overtures, over decades, centuries. They thought they were pledging to support Sendak in the event of Zarkon’s death, and in a way… they were. 

Zarkon would, after all, have to die, and soon.

There was no other way, as far as either of them could see. He’d ruled the universe with an iron fist for ten thousand years; he wouldn’t change his ways just because they asked.

A new emperor could only be chosen after the current one died.

Sendak snuck another glance at Lotor, standing near the front of the bridge of the Altean vessel, staring out at the stars, lost in his thoughts. It probably took an incredible force of will for him to keep from pacing. 

“Are you ready, Lotor?”

Lotor didn’t turn, but Sendak knew there was a small, sad smile on his lips. “As ready as I will ever be.” His shoulders slumped, just for a moment, before he squared them back up, and finally he turned and walked over to the Teleduv. “If we don’t do this now, I fear I shall never again have the courage to proceed.”

“We will be victorious,” Sendak said softly, hopefully quietly enough that no one else could eavesdrop. (It was kind of unlikely; all of Lotor’s generals were very nosy, and Haxus had picked up their bad habits over the last six months.) “We will win today, my love; there’s no other acceptable outcome.”

Lotor stood on the tips of his toes and kissed Sendak on the cheek. “For luck, Commander.” He was out of Sendak’s reach before he could return the favor. “Prepare to make the jump,” he said, louder, more firmly.

* * *

It all went exactly as Lotor had planned it. 

Luring Zarkon through a wormhole by using the Black Lion as bait, the Commanders loyal to Sendak preventing anyone from following them, Lotor using the comet-ore ships to end his father and the witch for once and all.

As perfectly choreographed as any dance, and Sendak’s only regret was that he didn’t get to finish Zarkon himself.

He went down to the hangar to meet Lotor and his generals when they returned to the Castle. The generals all filed past him, looking weary but victorious. 

All except Axca, who stopped briefly, putting a hand on his forearm to get his attention.

“Is Lotor alright?” Sendak asked, fearing the worst, although… If that were the case, wouldn’t he have known by now?

”He’s...unharmed,” she said. “You should go to him.” 

Sendak nodded. He’d been intending to, anyway, but he was glad that Axca was looking out for Lotor, too.

He went over to Lotor’s ship and checked the cockpit, since he knew that Lotor was probably still there. 

He was, hunched up in the pilot’s seat, knees drawn up to his chest and arms wrapped around his legs, hiding his face.

“Lotor?”

Lotor turned away a little, his shoulders shaking.

“Oh, my love,” Sendak sighed, climbing into the (surprisingly roomy) cockpit. There was, in fact, enough space between the pilot’s chair and the console for him to sit quite comfortably, so he did, pulling Lotor into his lap. 

Lotor sobbed, curling up even tighter on himself, like he could keep it all in, like he could bury it and pretend that whatever he was feeling right now wasn’t real.

Sendak held him, whispering soothing nothings, for a long time. 

Lotor stayed curled up like that even after he cried himself out. He was still shaking, though not as badly. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“You have nothing to be sorry for,” Sendak said firmly.

“I almost couldn’t do it. I didn’t- I didn’t want to do it, Sendak. He was my  _ father… _ ”

Technically true, but when had Zarkon shown even the slightest paternal interest in Lotor? 

“I know,” Sendak said. “I know, my love.”

“But he would have- He would have hurt you, if I didn’t. He would have hurt all of you, just to punish me. Why- why did he do that? Why wasn’t I good enough for him?”

“Oh, Lotor…” Sendak smoothed Lotor’s hair back and kissed his forehead. “It has nothing to do with you, and everything to do with him. I know it hurts, and that’s alright, but you don’t need to worry about him hurting anyone else ever again.”

Lotor hugged him, burying his face in Sendak’s neck, holding him as tightly as he could.

“You are a much better man than he ever was,” Sendak continued. “You can’t undo the past, but it’s over now. It’s over, my love.”

Lotor nodded, and they just stayed like that for a little while longer. 

“Did I do the right thing?” Lotor asked finally.

“Yes,” Sendak replied. “Yes. If you didn’t stop him, who would? Who  _ could _ ? He never would have stopped on his own, and he’d just keep going, him and his witch, until the whole universe was just an empty husk.”

“Thank you,” Lotor said, sitting back and wiping his face. “Thank you for everything, Sendak. You’ve always had faith in me, and I can’t- I don’t think I could have done this without you. So thank you.”

Sendak kissed his forehead again. “If you can’t have faith in yourself, Lotor, then I’ll have enough for both of us, alright?”

Lotor smiled, a little sadly. “I love you, Sendak.”

”I love you, too, Lotor.” 

“We should rejoin the fleets,” Lotor said eventually, making to stand. 

“ _ After _ you’ve rested,” Sendak said firmly. “Haxus has already been in communication with the other commanders, and we’ll rejoin them tomorrow.”

”Sendak…”

“A few hours won’t make a difference. The Kral Zera won’t be until at least the day after tomorrow. And I won’t have you losing because you’re too exhausted to stand upright.” 

Lotor laughed softly. “We have this ship, and we have each other, and our… our  _ friends… _ What else do we need? We could just...disappear, beyond the furthest reaches of the Empire. Explore new places, see new and exciting things…” His longing was  _ tangible _ , and Sendak could imagine it, for a moment…

“Lotor, if someone just as bad as your father becomes the Emperor, then what was the point?”

“No one is as bad as my father,” Lotor said stubbornly. He sighed after a moment. “But you’re right. I just… It’s nice to think about, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Sendak agreed. “I’d follow wherever you led. I just… I want to make sure that all your plans come to fruition.”

“I know. And you’re right. I can’t abandon this now, when we’re so close to the end.” He kissed Sendak on the cheek. “I assume Axca sent you to check up on me.”

“I was coming here anyway,” Sendak said. “But yes.”

“She worries too much,” Lotor grouched. “Like you.”

“ _ Someone _ has to make sure you’re alright, my love. Are you?”

Lotor sighed again. “I...will be.” He stood, and stepped back to give Sendak enough room to stand, too. “You should probably rest, too.”

Sendak hadn’t actually done a whole lot, certainly nothing as emotionally draining as killing his own father, but he didn’t argue. This was Lotor’s way of asking him to stay with him, and like hell was Sendak going to pass up the opportunity to nap with Lotor. Besides, Lotor slept better when Sendak was there. “You’re probably right,” Sendak agreed. 

He helped Lotor down out of the cockpit (he didn’t  _ need _ help, but he accepted it anyway) and then swept Lotor up in his arms. 

“Sendak! You aren’t seriously going to carry me to our rooms?”

“Why not?” Sendak asked. “Everyone’s probably either asleep or in the kitchen, so it’s not like they’re going to see us. Besides… we don’t have to keep this a secret anymore, my love.”

Lotor’s eyes widened, like he’d just remembered that. “Oh. Oh, alright then. If you want. You don’t have to.”

“You are not a burden, Lotor,” Sendak said quietly, firmly.

Lotor glanced away, biting his lip and nodding. “Thank you for everything, Sendak.” 


	12. Chapter 12

The Kral Zera was already underway by the time they got there. That, too, was by Lotor’s design: let the weak and ambitious pick themselves off. It was inauspicious to be the first to step up anyway.

And, of course, they did not arrive on a Galra cruiser, but rather in the Altean Castle ship, with all five Lions of Voltron safely secured within.

More than Zarkon had managed to do.

“Halt! Your true emperor has arrived!” Lotor shouted over the noise of the competition.

All of the contenders turned to look.

No one stepped forward immediately to challenge him. Why would they? He’d just killed Zarkon, and they knew, in their heart-of-hearts, that they were no match for him. 

Even so, one had the courage to shout back: “Are we supposed to let this half-breed runt rule us?”

“Step forward and challenge me yourself, if you believe I am not fit to rule. Put your sword where your mouth is, Commander Throk.”

Throk growled, and the fight began.

Throk’s attacks were straight-forward and repetitive, too much aggression and not enough strategy. 

It was easy enough to disarm him and, to Throk’s credit, he just closed his eyes and waited when Lotor had him on the ground.

“No,” Lotor said. “The regime of Zarkon is over. We need not continue in this manner. Let us help each other up, instead of seeking to tear our rivals down.” He offered Throk his hand, and after a moment, Throk took it.

The crowd had been focused on the fight, but now that it was over, they turned their attention to Sendak, half-expecting him to step forward.

“Won’t you challenge for the throne, Commander?” Someone asked. 

Sendak had been Zarkon’s favorite, after all. Heir presumptive, if not heir apparent. 

Sendak smirked. “Against my husband? I think not.”

The crowd was silent for a long,  _ long _ moment as they absorbed that information, and its implicit threat. Kral Zera or not, Sendak was unlikely to allow anyone to hurt Lotor, and would avenge him mercilessly, should the need arise.

(It wouldn’t; Lotor had not come this far only to be struck down now.)

There were no further challenges, and Lotor was able to light the flame unobstructed. 

He paused for a moment. If he did this, he would never be free to do as he wished -to run far away from all of this, with Sendak in tow, to explore the vast uninhabited swathes of space, to discover the unknown. He would always be tied to this office, until his death, whether that was in a year or in ten million.

But… If not him, then who? 

He lit the flame, and turned, the dull roar of the crowd drowning out whatever the Archivist was saying. (Or perhaps the crowd wasn’t that loud; perhaps that was only his nerves.) 

His eyes met Sendak’s, though, and Sendak looked  _ proud _ of him, and that… that was enough for Lotor to take a deep breath. It would all be alright, as long as he had Sendak beside him. 

* * *

Sendak repeated the marriage vows he’d spoken so long ago, confirming before the universe that he belonged at Lotor’s side, and then he knelt, and spoke the oaths that made him Lotor’s consort, too. His true equal, his right hand, his closest advisor… Everything he’d been, or tried to be, to Lotor for years now, but now it was official, and no one -not Zarkon, not the witch,  _ no one _ -could tear them apart now.

Lotor kissed him when he stood, clinging to him like a lifeline. But he was happy, too. Just overwhelmed by it all. 

That was understandable; a lot had happened in the last several days. 

Together, they descended the Stairs of Destiny, hand-in-hand, to be congratulated by Lotor’s generals and Haxus, as well as the rest of the gathered officers. 

Lotor didn’t always like crowds, especially if he was in the middle of one, so he held Sendak’s hand the whole time. 

And... _ they could do that now _ . They were  _ free _ now. 

Finally, they managed to slip away, back to the Castle ship, to celebrate privately. 

It was nothing like their wedding night from so long ago, but Sendak hadn’t expected it to be. There had been a certain level of desperation then, both of them wanting to cram as much as possible into the few short days they had together. 

It was different now. There was no reason for them to part tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. They were bound together now,  _ forever _ . 

He undressed Lotor slowly, reverently. They hadn’t had sex in a few days -since the night before the attack, in fact -and while they’d certainly gone far longer without before, it…

It was all different now. 

“I love you,” Sendak murmured, kneeling at Lotor’s feet to help him out of his boots, looking up at him. 

Lotor smiled in that soft, fond way he had. “I love you, too.” He stroked Sendak’s ear the way Sendak liked, until Sendak couldn’t stop the purr bubbling up from his chest. 

“You are adorable, my darling,” Lotor said.

Sendak huffed grumpily. He was  _ not _ adorable. 

Lotor laughed softly. “Mm… you’re so adorable when you pout, too.” 

Sendak raised his head to glare at Lotor, but Lotor was looking down at him with so much tangible love in his eyes, that he couldn’t bring himself to do it. He could never stay even slightly irritated at Lotor. 

“Fine,” Sendak grumbled. “But just for you.”

“Of course. You’re mine now.”

Sendak stood and kissed Lotor. He never wanted to stop kissing Lotor, never wanted him to leave his embrace, never wanted to be without Lotor.

Lotor’s hands strayed to Sendak’s armor, removing it by rote. Normally, Sendak would have taken over at some point, but… he liked this, too. A small gesture, but sometimes those were the most important. 

Each piece fell to the floor -Sendak would worry about that later - until they were both down to their flightsuits. 

Lotor was even shorter without his boots, as they added an inch or two to his height, and his armor added some bulk to his frame, which meant he was just... _ tiny _ now. 

But he was perfect, regardless of how tall or muscular he was or wasn’t. And Sendak liked how small he was. Perfect size for cuddles. 

Sendak helped Lotor with his flightsuit, and Lotor did the same for him, all without speaking, because they didn’t need to. They didn’t need words right now, just each other. No words could fully express what Sendak felt for Lotor, anyway, and his attempts would only be pale and clumsy in comparison. 

He ended up on the bed, half-reclined against the pillows, with Lotor in his lap, as close as they could manage, with Sendak’s hands on Lotor’s hips, guiding the smooth grinding motions he made.

Something they had done hundreds -maybe thousands -of times before, but it felt new, and unfamiliar, and… If there was anyone he’d be willing to explore the unknown with, it was Lotor. 

Lotor could be loud during sex, sometimes, but for now he was mostly quiet, sighing and humming in pleasure, fully in the moment, which was exactly where Sendak wanted him. 

There was a certain enjoyment from having Lotor close like this, not just from the way Lotor felt around his cock (although that was, of course, good): the softness of his skin under Sendak’s palms, the firmness of his muscles. The way the light caught in his hair, making it glow like a halo. Lotor’s hands, one finally coming to rest on Sendak’s shoulder and the other tangled in the thick fur at the nape of his neck. 

The way Lotor looked at him, with just as much love as lust in his eyes. 

It was perfect, absolutely perfect. Intimate and emotional and everything he’d never had with anyone other than Lotor. 

Lotor held onto him, as they both came (not quite together, but close enough), and after, just...staying close.

It might have been minutes later, or hours, when Lotor finally spoke up. “Can you believe that we get to have this every day? For the rest of our lives?”

“Not really,” Sendak admitted. Gods, he’d been waiting for this day for so long, and now that it was here… “But we do.”

“If this is a dream,” Lotor said, “I hope we never wake up.”

“This is real, Lotor.” He kissed Lotor sweetly. “I’m glad it’s you.”

Lotor’s eyes brightened a little -with happy tears, hopefully -and he rubbed his cheek against Sendak’s. “Thank you, Sendak.”

They cuddled for a little while longer, before Lotor stood and stretched. “I’m going to take a shower. Would you like to join me, husband?”

Sendak scrambled up, nearly falling over himself in his eagerness. 


	13. Chapter 13

With the aid of both Altean alchemy and Galra engineering, Lotor was able to move the entire Colony -down to the planet it inhabited -to a new orbit around a star outside the Quantum Abyss. He’d asked, and those within the Colony were ready to rejoin the universe at-large. 

He managed to restore the Alteans that had been drained in Haggar’s vile experiments. 

He’d done what no one else managed to do: bring peace to the universe, unify two peoples that had never really seen eye-to-eye, find a solution for the energy crisis.

And he was happy. Truly, genuinely happy. 

None of it had been  _ easy _ , but it had been worth it. 

Perhaps that was why he was surprised when his guards caught the…  _ Paladins _ of Voltron sneaking around his flagship.

They were dragged before him, very much like the unruly children they surely were.

Lotor exchanged a look with Axca, and then with Sendak. Axca was annoyed, and Sendak was annoyed, but also amused. 

Lotor felt much the same. These children wouldn’t leave well enough alone, but Lotor would enjoy this. 

“Who the hell do you think you are!” The small, former Green Paladin shouted. 

“It doesn’t matter who I think I am,” Lotor said. “Who do you think  _ you _ are, breaking onto my ship and attacking my troops without provocation?”

“We are the Paladins of Voltron,” a young Altean woman said. Undoubtedly Princess Allura; she looked too similar to the hologram of Alfor for it to be a coincidence. “And you stole my ship.” 

“Very well. Take it, then. But the Lions of Voltron will be staying in my care.”

“What  _ right _ do you have-“

“Right?” Lotor asked. “I need no  _ right _ ; a responsible parent does not let their child handle a sword.”

That did not make her very happy, but he honestly didn’t care. Without Voltron, these lions were toothless.

“Voltron is mine by blood and tradition,” she said. “I am Princess Allura, the daughter of King Alfor, creator of Voltron.”

“And I am Emperor Lotor, the son of Emperor Zarkon, first pilot of the Black Lion. My claim is equal to yours, if not greater. It was not you, after all, who killed Zarkon, was it?”

“You are  _ Zarkon’s son _ ?” She hissed. “How are you any better than he was?” 

Lotor spread his hands. “If I were no better than my father, you would be dead or dying already. He was not a man who could be reasoned with, but I am a reasonable man. Take your ship and leave my Empire. The war is over.”

“The war is over when I say it’s over!” 

Lotor...didn’t have a response for that at first. He’d been fighting this war so long that he couldn’t imagine someone who was eager for  _ more _ . “Continuing to fight will not bring Altea back,” he said finally. “The dead are ten thousand years in their graves; let the living live. Vengeance for lost Altea is an injustice for the sons and daughters of Altea that yet live, and yet may die in this continued conflict.”

“There...were survivors?” She whispered, stunned.

Of course there were survivors; in a civilization capable of fast and easy interstellar travel, there were always a number of citizens off-world. “Yes.”

“And  _ my _ people follow  _ you _ ? The son of the man who destroyed Altea?”

“They are  _ not _ your people,” Lotor snapped. “You have done nothing for them, not in ten thousand years. Alfor left them to die, but he saved  _ you _ , an entitled brat with no concept of how the universe works.” 

“Lotor,” Sendak murmured, at the same time as Axca shot him a  _ look _ . 

“That’s not my fault!” She shouted.

“I imagine that nothing is your fault,” Lotor said coldly. “Alfor condemned the universe to ten thousand years of terror under Zarkon, and now you demand that I allow you to continue tearing a war-torn universe apart further.”

She looked down her nose at him. He was seated, so it wouldn’t have been  that impressive, but the throne  _ was _ on a raised dais. “Forgive me for not wishing to allow a race of bloodthirsty murderers to continue ruling this universe.”

And...they were done now. “Guards, escort these children to their ship.” 

“Wait! What have you done to my people? I demand to know, as the Princess of Altea!”

Where to start with that one? “Axca,” Lotor said quietly, “see who you can find. Luka, perhaps, or Merla, if you would.”

“Yes, Sir,” she said, departing. 

Louder, and once more addressing Allura, he said, “They are not your people, and you are a princess of nothing more than ashes. The only bond you have to them is blood, but you have not sought to serve them, as I have.”

“As  _ you _ have?”

Lotor inclined his head. “I am the one who has ensured the survival of the Altean people these last ten thousand years. You are yet a princess of Altea, and by all means- Rule Altea. What is left of it. The Altean people, however…”

Luka, Merla, and several members of the Altean Council Of Elders came into the room, then.

“Your Majesty?” Luka asked. “You asked for us?”

“Do you know this woman?” Lotor asked. 

Allura was speechless; perhaps she thought he’d been lying. 

Either way, the Alteans all looked at her. Merla spoke up first. “She...bears some resemblance for the traitor, Alfor.”

“How dare you!”

“Alfor abandoned their ancestors,” Lotor said. “Your claim to his throne means nothing, especially when it is already full.”

“Full?” She whispered, and perhaps it had been a cruel thing to bring up; surely she’d had enough surprises for one day. 

One of the Elders spoke up. “We asked if he would accept the throne, and three times he refused it, but when we asked again, he accepted, and performed the ancient rites.”

All the color drained out of her face. “You… You’re not even Altean. How could you let some Galra rule you?” She whirled on the Council.

“I’m half-Galra, actually,” Lotor said with a thin smile. “My mother was Altean. It is by that blood that I am able to unite these disparate empires and bring peace to the universe.”

She seemed too shocked to say anything, and the rest of the Paladins clearly didn’t know what to say, either. 

Finally, Lotor stood. “Renounce your title, and you may stay within the Altean-Galra Empire. Otherwise, take your ship and leave.” 

He strode out, with Sendak on his heels.

“Was I too unkind?” Lotor asked, when they were far enough away from the throne room.

“I would have been even more unkind,” Sendak said. “You’re letting them go- you think they won’t cause problems later?”

“Perhaps, perhaps not. Without Voltron, it’s nothing we can’t handle.”

“She might gain support among some of the Alteans that dislike you.”

“She might, at that,” Lotor agreed. “But she will not amass much more support than that. The Paladin’s homeworld is technologically inferior, and while they are adaptable, they won’t be a major power for centuries yet. We have  _ time _ .” 

Sendak stopped and pushed him against a wall, leaning down to kiss him. “If you ever want to call out any of the hold-out commanders like that, let me know beforehand so I can watch.” 

Lotor laughed. “So predictable, my darling.” 

“What can I say? You look good on a throne.” 

Lotor kissed him. “Well, there will be no shortage of opportunities for you to see me on my throne.”

“You earned it, my love” Sendak said, sliding his hands under Lotor’s thighs and lifting him up, so he could carry him off to their quarters. 

 


End file.
